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RMS' Bio | The GNU Project

What Mary Had

-- Richard Stallman, 2017-04-27

Mary had a little lamp

On a motion-sensing switch.

And this, at night, when Mary moved,

Highlighted every twitch.



Mary had a little phone That tracked her everywhere,

And every word that Mary spoke

The state was sure to hear.



Mary had a little car

With cellular modem built,

And everywhere that car did go

Her personal data spilt.



Mary had a TV set

That watched her watching it.

A jackass cracked its back door key

To photograph her tit.



"They've gone too far," cried Mary's rage,

"When a TV set is lewd."

That's how she learned: with non-free code,

There's mischief being brewed.



Need I describe her watch, her stove,

Her fridge her, thermostats?

They're all alike, "smart" booby traps,

Laid out by plutocrats.



Mary trashed those networked "things"

Her software now is free.

She fights for freedom night and day

So free we all can be.

Note

How surveillance threatens democracy.

Copyright (c) 2017 Richard Stallman Verbatim copying and redistribution of this entire page are permitted provided this notice is preserved.